A boutique yoga studio in Greenbelt,MD providing vinyasa yoga, health coaching and fitness classes for adults of all levels.

Do You HATE Binds in Yoga?

Marichyasana use to be on my personal "Top Ten Yoga Poses that I Hate" list. In general I hated binds, and would often use the excuse of having broad shoulders as the reason why they felt so uncomfortable for me. And then I realized that that was just an excuse. Anytime that you hear yourself saying…it's because- "my arms are too short" or "I have a long torso" or "I'm too fat." Realize that those are excuses that are holding you back.

My shoulders had nothing to do with the reason why I wasn't able to get into the pose with ease. I've never had a shoulder injury so the size of my shoulders was just an excuse. Finally I admitted to myself that vulnerability was the key reason I disliked the pose. I don't do vulnerability well. I'm one of those people that has a really hard time asking for help when I need it the most and being in Marichyasana or any bind for that matter made me feel vulnerable. I needed to explore this more in my personal practice so I started to add Marichyasana into my daily yoga practice. Everyday I would practice the pose, I started to add binds into my vinyasa flow while is a Side Angle and eventually into a Triangle Pose. And slowly over time I began to really like them. Why the sudden change of heart?

Instead of running away from the thing I disliked, I leaned in and got to know it better. I allowed myself to fail and I honored the art of listening to my body. Letting up when it felt like too much of a stretch and being okay with surrendering and allowing myself to feel vulnerability. Allowing my yoga mat to be a safe space to explore those feelings and notice how my body reacted.

Try adding Marichyasana into your yoga practice today. Start in Staff Pose with your legs straight out in front of you. Bring your right knee into your chest and press the right foot into your mat, inhale your arms over your head and on your exhale lengthen over the left leg. Stay here for a few breaths and then add your bind by taking the left arm behind your back and then your right bicep should be in front of your shin. Reach your hands towards each other at your lower back. If your hands can't reach use a strap. Stay in the pose for 5 breaths. Drawing the lower abdomen in to create more space for the fold. Slowly release into the pose and try to get your forehead to touch just beyond your knee. I tell the Bee Yoga Fusion kids to kiss their knee, which they think is hilarious to do!

Once you allow yourself to surrender into the pose it's actually very calming. Give it a try and tell me what you think on Facebook.